The Pros And Cons Of Embryonic Stem Cells

Many people are familiar with bone marrow stem cell transplants because it has helped save the lives of many patients for decades. Stem cells are biologically defined as “unspecialized cells found in living things and are able to renew themselves and develop into other cells by means of growth and repair so long as the host is still alive. They can also be manipulated to become tissue or organ specific cells” ("14 Key Pros and Cons of Embryonic Stem Cell Research”). However, controversy recently begun when scientists discovered how to remove stem cells from human embryos. Embryonic stem cells are derived from human embryos that were developed from fertilized eggs. These eggs are fertilized outside a living organism in environments such as a culture or test tube. Then, they are then donated to research with permission from the donor. In a women’s body an egg continuously divides into smaller cells, into what is known as blastocyst, when it is ready to be fertilized by human sperm. For the use of research, the blastocyst is developed in a culture to divide into numerous embryonic cells. To obtain these stem cells, the early embryo must destroyed. This means destroying a potential human life, which is why this topic is so controversial ("14 Key Pros and Cons of Embryonic Stem Cell Research”). The …show more content…
Abortion ends both the existence as well as the destiny of a developing human. The Second Vatican Council teaches, “God’s love does not differentiate between the newly conceived infant still in his or her mother's womb and the child or young person, or the adult and the elderly person. God does not distinguish between them because he sees an impression of his own image and likeness in each one” (“Practical Problems With Embryonic Stem Cells”). The church’s opposition on abortion is one argument on why embryonic stem cell research is